Road closures and construction can make getting around Bloomington frustrating, especially near Indiana University.
There is, however, a method to the madness.
Lisa Ridge, Monroe County’s highway director, said the county has projects planned through 2031, with some in design, some preparing for construction, and others already underway.
“When Eagleson is done, we’re going to start this one,” she said. “We have overlapping projects everywhere. It’s just they might have different construction years.”
How does the county decide which roads should move forward?
For routine paving and maintenance, roads are rated on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their condition, helping officials prioritize.
Those priorities can change after a rough winter, when moisture and severe weather cause roads to deteriorate faster, and traffic counts play a role in road construction decisions.
Bridge projects follow a longer process, particularly when federal funding is involved. Ridge said most of the county’s bridge replacements use federal funding, and it can take about five years for a project to reach construction after it is awarded.
That funding also comes with deadlines.
“If you don’t make that construction year for when the funds are allocated, then you could be subject to paying back all the federal funds that was used to get to that point,” she said.
The Eagleson Avenue bridge replacement just north of 10th Street is among the more complicated projects --- and one of the most problematic for Indiana University. It involves Monroe County, IU, the City of Bloomington, INDOT, and the railroad. The project is expected to continue for nearly a year.
“There was a lot of pre-planning and working with, especially IU, on the timeline of when to close it,” Ridge said.
Ridge said some disruption is difficult to avoid when major infrastructure needs to be replaced.
“You can’t get anywhere with infrastructure without having it cause a problem in a slowdown for people,” she said.
